Franchise grows kids' yoga

MONTICELLO — The class of toddlers and preschoolers at Precious Child Daycare busily engaged in a mini-Olympics of sorts, moving like swimmers one moment, runners the next.

James Walsh

MONTICELLO — The class of toddlers and preschoolers at Precious Child Daycare busily engaged in a mini-Olympics of sorts, moving like swimmers one moment, runners the next.

But instead of racing into the distance, the children remained on their individual blue mats spread on the floor. This was yoga, after all.

It was just another day for The Children's School of Yoga, the brainchild of Doreen Foxwell of Rock Hill. The school operates out of locations in 10 counties across four states — New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Foxwell began the business in 2004, with locations in Monticello and Warwick, after having what she refers to as a bedtime epiphany to bring children the benefits of yoga that she'd long enjoyed.

She'd been working for six years at a Gymboree, a parent-child play program, when she thought, "Why not put yoga to music for children in an age-appropriate sort of way?"

That led to months spent developing lesson plans for various age groups and situations. "Today it was the Olympics," she said after the class. "We swam, we ran, we bicycled. That's just one lesson."

Q: What attracted you to yoga?

A: It was the closest thing to ballet that I ever did. Yoga helped me relax. I got into it when we moved into our community, Emerald Green. It's a private community that offers activities, including yoga. That was 14 years ago, and I've been at it ever since.

Q: Why should children do yoga?

A: It's a skill, an activity they can use throughout their lives. Yoga helps them with coordination and cooperation. It's not competitive. They learn to work together. Yoga helps instill self-discipline and self-control.

Q: What was the business like when it started?

A: It was just me, but it went so well that within four months, I had to hire teachers to help. It just took off!

Q: Where does the business operate?

A: We're in 20 to 30 locations weekly. In day care centers, preschools, after-school programs, community centers, health and fitness studios, and this time of year, camps.

Q: So you rent space from those organizations?

A: Right. We used to rent commercial space in Monroe, but then the building was sold and we had to move. Instead of getting another store, the money that was going for rent and utilities went into planning and developing a franchise model.

Q: So you're franchising the business?

A: We can sell territories, which I've done in Westchester, and I'm looking now to sell locations in Putnam and Dutchess.

Q: What drew you to franchising?

A: I wanted to grow the business and still control it. When you franchise it, it's your system, your model. Wherever you are, it's the same.

Q: How long did it take to get the franchising approved by New York?

A: It took five months. You have to show what's special about your program, what people get if they buy a franchise. And you have to develop an operations manual. You need an attorney knowledgeable about franchising, and I also use a franchise consultant who helps market it.

Q: How did you find those professionals?

A: I belong to Count Me In, a networking group for female entrepreneurs. People there referred me.

Q: Where do you go from here?

A: Hopefully, we'll be in every state. That's the goal for the next 10 years.